Tag: inspiration

On January 17, 2019 we OnPointCelebz held a ‘Emancipation of Strong Women’ event to promote wellness and woman empowerment. We had a wonderful turnout with six beautiful women that expressed themselves fully and wholly to establish something about themselves that make them feel empowered. They all came up with a word that represents them as a person. Then they designed a shirt writing OnPoint ‘N’ filling in the blank with their word. The process was the best part of the entire event. What we enjoyed the most about this event is how the women worked together to establish their word. They motivated each other while designing their shirts. The room was full of excitement and respect. Watching these women work together inspiring each other was simply amazing. We will do another event with more beautiful and talented women soon. We were assisted by Jazmyne Brooking Founder and CEO of Refine Entertainment. Below are more picture from the event.

Kofi Siriboe released his short film “Jump” yesterday and it has already been getting buzz. The film follows Ziggy, a African American male that is detached from reality. Ziggy continues to see a young girl that is telling him to follow her, but every time he finds her, no one is ACTUALLY there. He repeats the words, “I don’t wanna live, I don’t wanna die”, directly signifying his complex with living a life of depression and actually not wanting to ending the life he know (with friends) but doesn’t enjoy. His friend tries to reach out to him but he’s not interested in hanging out or talking. It ends with Ziggy on the bridge considering what to do next…

I’m proud of Kofi Siriboe for this wonderful film. Keep up the good work! OnPoint!

Actor Kofi Siriboe from film Girls Trip and TV Series Queen Sugar has created a documentary called What the Fuck Is Mental Health? tackling the unrecognized issues of mental illness in black communities. In the short documentary a group of young Black speak on their personal experience with mental health and how they have overcome.

Siriboe expressed to Huffington Post about being inspired to make a documentary dealing with mental health:

Making WTF Is Mental Health? Has been a part of the healing process for me, one I’m still exploring. It’s the combination piece to Jump, a short film I made after a mentor and a big brother figure died by suicide, just before I got the call that I’d then cast in Queen Sugar. I started working on this beautiful, emotional show and felt how liberating it was to channel my fears into art. As I began to mold Jump, I realize the true conversation I was craving centered on young black people who are figuring out this mental health thing, too.

He also explains that he wants Black people to express themselves:

Everybody doesn’t have that language and doesn’t understand that there is a community or world out there of people who are dealing with similar things, so I really want to explore what it is and what it means to us. A lot of our project is just asking questions, and I think with the questions they’re able to give us answers and able to define these definitions for ourselves rather than what we are accustomed to being told.

It is no secret that Black people have a hard time expressing themselves. It is however difficult for many people to understand WHY Black people have such a hard time expressing themselves. This documentary is just the beginning of a well needed discussion on mental health in black communities.

After an eye-opening 2017 season, which caused NFL attendance and TV rating dropped as Trump and other critic’s scrutinized on-field protest by many of the league players. NFL commissioner Roger Goodall announced this week that the league has a new policy, “this season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem. Personnel who choose not to stand for the anthem may stay in the locker room until after the anthem has been performed”.

When Trump was asked about the new policy he says, “I think the people pushed it forward. This was not me. I brought it out. I think the people pushed it forward. This country’s very smart. We have very smart people,” the president said. “And, you know, that’s something ideally could have been taken care of when it first started. It would have been a lot easier. But if they did that, they’re doing the right thing.”

The new policy stem from all of the opinion’s after former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, shocked the world when he decided to Neil for the national anthem before a preseason game and then before regular-season games throughout the 2016 season.

The protest let some to boycott watching NFL games last season and it appeared to have played a part in NFL’s ratings. Television viewership fell 9.7% across all networks last season, according to Nielsen data. An average NFL game was watch by 1.6 million fewer people compared to last year, declining overall from 16.5 million $14.9 million, ESPN reported.

Although their ratings have dropped, the NFL still signed a $1.5 billion deal with Verizon to stream games across the wireless carriers platform, according to Recode. The NFL also reached a five-year, $3 billion to broadcast Thursday night Football on Fox sports, according to Reuters.

The problem with this entire policy is that it effects the 70 percent of football players that are African American feeling the injustice in this country. Colin Kaepernick and other players have said they are not protesting the anthem or the military; they are using the anthem to bring attention to racial injustice and the issue of police abuse of black and brown Americans. Below is the video of Sterling Brown being arrested for a parking violation brings up Kaepernick’s point.

Last night, Bruno Mars released the music video for ‘finesse’ from his album 24k Magic. The video is directed by Bruno Mars himself, Co-Directed by Florent Dechard, and Choreographer and Creative Consultant by Phil Tayag.

The video was centered around the 90’s “In Living Color” TV show. From the fashion, to the performance, and the style of the song itself.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Bruno can do no wrong, when it comes to performance and art. I love how the video is displayed like a 90’s TV show introduction. It kind of makes me want to guess what type of character, both Bruno and Cardi would be. In my mind Bruno is the Will the “Prince of Bel Air” and Cardi is Jada Pinkett smith in “A Different World”.

Bruno killed the performance scene, I felt like I was at a concert. I just wanted to jump into the screen.

The video was fun and enjoyable. Now all we need is for the video to turn into an actual show. If only…but until then Bruno’s 24k Magic World Tour tickets are on sale on his website. BrunoMars.com

Back in February, Drizzy Drake copped the Grammy for Best Rap Album for Take Care, and over the weekend he shared the exact moment, his golden gramophone finally arrived in the mail with his fans. Even though he was in the middle of playing pool with his boys, Drake immediately poured his drink right into his award and took a couple of shots before he had his entire crew do the same. It ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none!

He then took a picture of the award with his phone to send to his mother, before having a moment of reflection, which turned into a great source of inspiration.

It just hit me right now. It’s so crazy that it’s here. It’s just work, you know? They’re not always gonna get it. They’re not always gonna appreciate it. It just makes the victories that much sweeter.

It’s so weird. It’s like, you say you’re gonna do something and it actually happens and then it happens again and it happens again and you wonder like, does it run out? Is it the power of being young? Is it desire? Is it hunger? Even this house. I told myself I’d come here one day and see it. I own it. And this [Grammy] right here, I used to talk about it all the time. I would sit and just say — my vision always included a speech, that’s the only thing. That kind of wasn’t accurate, but other than that I always said I’d get one of these, you know, and I got it. When does it stop? Does it stop? Why is it happening?

T: Wow! I grew up around music. My mom is a professional singer and most of my family members are in the music industry. From being very little I’ve always been around music. I fell in love with it at a very young age.(Laughing) I feel like there was no other way for me to go.

OPC: How long have you been singing? When did you discover you had the ability to sing?

T: I started off singing at my grandfathers church. He has a very very small church in San Diego California where I was born. Started singing there once he gave me my solo I was like oh yeah (Laughing). This is me, this is what I want to do. I don’t want to do anything else in life. I knew pretty early that, that was from watching music videos and all the people I admired, I knew very very early that it was something I wanted to do.

OPC: Who is your #1 inspiration?

T: Mariah Carey

OPC: Who would you love to work with in the industry?

T: Timbaland or Ryan Leslie

OPC: From what you’ve seen or heard, what makes a professional artist? An ideal superstar?

T: Someone who is very well rounded as far as their gift. Whether they have [tackled] the technical side as well as just being free enough to express themselves. There are people that have master both of those as well as being able to network and run a great business. It seems to me that those are the most successful in the entertainment industry. Their able to balance all of those different areas of their lives and stay on top even though its a lot. Its a lot to try and balance but from what I see the people that are very successful are able to balance all of that.

OPC: What has been your favorite part of your Journey so far?

T: I have to be really honest other people wouldn’t say they do it for the feed back [but that’s why I do it. I love when someone can relate to my music]. Its just a song in my head until I go in the studio and record it and its just a song until I preform it and its just a song until someone hears it. But if it actually means something to somebody else that the whole reason i do it.

OPC: What song have you gotten the most feed back on?

T: Its weird because for women its this song that I have called ‘Its Complicated’ and its specifically about how a relationship goes wrong and your like what the heck happen we were doing so well. And I got that from all the people on Facebook land that had a status that said its complicated. I started seeing peoples comments saying what does that mean. And not everyone wants to admit it but everyone has been in that part of their relationship where their like I don’t know if were still together or whats happening so I wrote a song about that. From women I get the most feedback about that. And then I have another song that we shot the video for and its called ‘Ladies Night’. For a very strange reason a lot of guys (laughing) like that song. Their like I know I’m not supposed to dance to I know its a song for women but I like that song. Its very opposite ends of the spectrum but I love it.

OPC: Do you have a special zone you get in when your writing?

T: I do have a special zone. It depends on what kind of song it is but I specifically try to take myself to a place that I’ve experienced. When writing a song or singing a song, what ever the subjects about I try to take myself to that place. So if its one of those sad songs I literally take myself to that bad, dark, not so good place. [I start] from there to make the emotion come out.

OPC: What do you want your legacy to be?

T: I hope that when its all send and done. When I’m old and grey and can’t do this anymore. I hope that what people just got from me is that I wasn’t afraid to go against the green and follow the dream that I’ve had since I was little. No matter what it cost me or what obstacles I’ve met. That’s what I stand for.